Hephaestus (Snowstorm)
Here is my char for Lexie.owo's Mythological Character Contest! He's finally finished! WOOOOOHOO :D This character is very loosely based on the Greek God Hephaestus. This page contains violence and long paragraphs. Appearance When you first enter the smouldering forges of the Skywing Queen, you don't notice the crippled dragon, hunched over their latest project. After all, he blends in so perfectly. But when you finally see the flicker of movement, your eyes find him hobbling over to another station. Every movement he seems to be in pain, either squeezing his eyes shut or clutching at his heavy tail, or even just taking a moment to breathe in the smog. This dragon, wouldn't notice you (of course), even if he looks in pain. He's working hard and has no time for chit chat. However, if you make a noise, you might get his attention. He might even look at you. And then you'd get a proper look at his scarred face. Starting with Hephaestus's face: It's hard to look at. The vicious, pale scar marks make you wince in sympathy. When he shifts his tired expression, you can't help watching in horror at the angry marks. When you finally see past them, his face isn't that bad. Dark, reddish-brown scales overlap his lighter, salmon-coloured face. He has a small, white horn at the tip of his nose, which hints to his Skywing heritage. His unforgiving orange eyes watch you with every move, ready to make a run for it or attack you any moment. His lovely, long, marmalade-orange horns are covered in scratch marks. They're the same colour as the spines going down his back and neck. Going down his scarred neck, a rusty underbelly and yellow-brown scales greet you. His upper body is fine, in fact, he looks incredibly muscular, strong and healthy, apart from the occasional wheeze. Then you get to the wings. As he spreads them out to shake them out, you hear cricks from them being in place for too long. His once beautiful red membranes are shredded beyond repair. Long talon marks have gouged out part of his wings and left scars on the muscle controlling them and his legs. You can't help but try and give words of encouragement, but Hephaestus just brushes them off. The dragon's lower body looks badly damaged. In place of his back two legs are stainless, robotic, metal lumps that have been carefully moulded to look like hind legs. An orange stripe runs down the length, dividing a dark section and a light section. Finally, you see his tail. It looks...Curious. Almost 3/4 of his tail is gone, replaced with metal. At the end, a lump of hardened metal has been painstakingly crafted for hours into an easily maneuverable hammer-like shape. You wonder vaguely how he controls it. When you ask, he replies in a gruff voice. "Mechanics." You shake your head in sorrow for this poor dragon. He has scars everywhere on his body, and he is more metal than Dragon. Personality If you're a good friend of Hephaestus asked about his personality, you would immediately tell the dragon he is the kindest, most hardworking, honest and loyal dragon you would ever meet. However, if you're an enemy of Hephaestus, you'd tell the dragon that he is cruel and cold, hostile and humourless and definetly devious. But which one is telling the truth? Well, they're both right. Hephaestus is definetly kind. He'll do decent things when nobody is watching, like climbing a tree to put a bird chick back in it's nest, even if he's hungry. The hybrid is fiercely hardworking, always putting in his best for every small task. If you come to him asking for an invention that does a few of your household chores at once, he'll make it so the invention does all of the chores you want done and give it to you half-price. Hephaestus is brutally honest at sometimes, but only when you need to hear it. It doesn't matter if it causes him inconvenience, he'll tell the truth. And once you've earned his trust, he'll fight for you. However, his enemy would also be right. If you've wronged the Hybrid, he'll hold a grudge for hundred of years. If you've betrayed him in the past and show up at his workshop asking for a simple mug, he'll turn you away or give you a terrible mug that changes your water to coal. Sometimes, if you invite him over to see your house, he'll eat your pet, and give an apology he doesn't really mean. He doesn't get jokes, and when he doesn't understand something he'll get annoyed and act like it wasn't a funny joke at all. But is he devious? It yet again depends on who you ask. History If you want to know about Hephaestus, you have to start with his mother. Peregrine, a vain, firescales Skywing dragoness was a very proud Queen. She roared at her husband, the King for the being very unfaithful behind her back and making her look foolish in front of their close friends and fellow Queens. However, this was unreasonable as she had firescales and would kill anyone who touched her. She flew day and night to the town of Possibility, intending to adopt an egg from the hatchery and raise it without the help of her husband, to get back at him for all the children he'd raised with other dragonesses. It was when she finally arrived at the gates of town at midnight when she realised her firescales might be a problem. As Peregrine thought, a figure cloaked in shadows approached her and knocked her out with one swift blow. When she woke, she was covered from snout to tail in mud from the bank of the Delta River and had multiple bruises and injuries. All her jewellery was gone, even the rubies and diamonds embedded in her scales had been gouged out. However, the worst damage was to her once beautiful wings. One quick look at them told her she'd never be able to fly again. Peregrine wept for days, not bothering to even attempt to get food or water. Finally, a kind Mudwing from a blood-red egg took pity on her and brought her to a cave full of small animals and cool, clean water. Over time, she bonded with the good-natured stranger and spent many nights being in his company. He was kinder to her than her boring husband had ever been. Eventually, she awoke with an egg. The Mudwing insisted he came back to the palace and take care of his child, but Peregrine roared at him. She had come to her senses. This was a Mudwing, the lowest of the low. Peregrine sent the good dragon away, tears in her eyes. She then travelled back to the Skywing kingdom on weary claws. It was no easy task for a pregnant Skywing, even one with Firescales, and she had to make frequent stops. When she finally arrived, her husband was horrified at her appearance. Her scales were still caked with mud and grime, and ugly, infected wounds were everywhere she had had jewels on her body. The Queen had never been a thin dragoness, and her husband was rather thick, so she was able to say the egg was the result of one too many deer. Peregrine requested she were to be cleaned up at once, which her loyal servants did by leading her to a nearby river. She then confessed she had an egg, and it was too late to get rid of it, so she needed their help. They agreed; the queen had always been fair to them. Peregrine suffered in silence for two days, and finally, the hybrid egg was laid. The Skywing Queen expected the dragonet inside to be dead, so she gave it to her servants, expecting them to dispose of it and the mutant inside. Instead, a particular grieving Skywing servant kept it, holding onto the hope it would hatch and it could replace the dragonet she'd lost about a week ago. It was to everyone's surprise when a healthy, Skywing-Mudwing hybrid hatched. The servant was overjoyed, and gave it everything it needed. But when Queen Peregrine asked how the servant had disposed of the egg, she knew she couldn't lie, and told the Queen the truth. Peregrine was appalled, and with a screech of rage she lept at the dragoness, ending her life. After the gruesome task had been performed, the Queen searched for the young, healthy dragonet. She found him cowering in a corner, terrified of the rampaging Queen with no wings. Peregrine tried to grab and scratch him, but he turned at the last second, earning himself the infamous horrific scars on his face. The Queen finally got a hold of the squealing dragonet's wings and tore them savagely. She was momentarily surprised to see them not crumble into dust, but that just reminded her of the dragonet's father. With a hiss of rage, the Skywing queen stomped up to the highest tower, ignoring the servants horrified faces, and hurled her child out of the top window. Hephaestus plummeted all the way down and landed in a fast-flowing lake. The fall should have killed him, but his mangled wings took the impact and made it so that the only severe damage was to his legs and tail. Eventually, these parts of his body would have to be amputated. Hephaestus was unconscious and was dragged underwater out to the ocean, where he was found by a Seawing called Thetis, named after an ancient water spirit. Thetis was kind to Hephaestus, and let him use his creativity and talent for anything he wanted to. She did, however, ask him to make her jewellery. Hephaestus happily obliged. He used his Mudwing ability of holding his breath when he needed to go underwater, and built himself a beach hut for when he couldn't. Eventually, Hephaestus grew up. He wasn't good looking, or even average looking, but he was intelligent, creative, and longed for company that wasn't Thetis's. Finally, Hephaestus knew what he had to do. He was bitter towards his mother. Thetis had let him meet up with his father through the help of an animus paid well with jewellery, and his father had told him everything. The animus had also told him about how his mother had adopted 9 other dragonets, who were all fully grown. He said goodbye to the Thetis, gathered up his projects and started walking towards the Skywing palace. It took several days and nights, but with the company of his donkeys and his will of steel, he got there in the end. When the day finally arrived, Hephaestus burned the door down with his fire. He grinned and walked to the middle of the throne room. "Mother! How good it is to see you" He hissed at Peregrine. The Queen had been in the middle of eating and looked like she was about to choke. Hephaestus's keen eyes noticed the King glance at the Queen. He then addressed the other dragons in the room. "Brothers and sisters, I was born to that very snake you see on the throne right now. I understand you were not. But fear not! I bring no hatred. I bring gifts!" He said, pointing to the mules. "Is it...Donkeys?" One of the stupider siblings asked. Hephaestus rolled his eyes, and let the clatch fly to the floor. Under the sheet were eleven magnificent thrones, each customised. While travelling, he'd learned all about the dragons the queen had adopted and what they liked. He'd also gathered info on the king. Hephaestus had done the job perfectly. The thrones were rife with technological features. Within seconds, the ten dragons were admiring the thrones obviously made for them. However, Peregrine was a little hesitant. But when she saw the other dragons having fun, Peregrine sat on her throne. For about two seconds, she looked regal and imposing. Then the ropes shot out of the sides, binding her. Hephaestus watched with a smile. The other dragons heard her screaming and immediately got out of their chairs. The king demanded Hephaestus let her go at once, but he just shrugged and walked out of the door. For ages, her children tried to get her out. But it was no use, the ropes were impenetrable, even to a powerful firescales. Eventually, the King sent on of his adopted sons to go get Hephaestus. He sent his most formidable warrior, a muscular Skywing named Conflict, sure that the cripple would be intimidated. When the warrior arrived at Hephaestus's workshop down in the common, he arrived on a chariot pulled by red horses. Conflict tried his best, using his firebreath and claws, but Hephaestus looked him in the eye. He was immune to fire, and if he needed to he could use his controlled firescales to burn Conflict's claws away. The warrior came back with his tail between their legs. It took months of sending dragons to Hephaestus's sanctuary for him to cave in, but the youngest dragon finally did it. His name was Port Wine. He was small and had a weird purple-red scale tone. He showed up to Hephaestus's workshop and began chatting to him like old friends. Hephaestus was suspicious at first but finally began to talk to him. It seemed like Port Wine was just trying to be his friend. Eventually, they went out hunting together. Port Wine felt like it was a good time to ask Hephaestus for a favour. He begged him to release their mother from the trap. He even threw in some jokes, like how they had to feed Peregrine with her snout smushed against the throne made from diamonds. Hephaestus sighed, and thought for a moment. His revenge hadn't made him feel any better, just bitter and empty. The hybrid finally agreed to free her, and he and Port Wine walked back together. Hephaestus was met with resistance when he approached the throne room, but the king saw what he was doing and let him. With a flick of a secret lever behind the chair, Peregrine was free. She thanked Hephaestus, and invited him to live in the palace with everyone. Hephaestus was finally happy and agreed to her offer. He still hated her, but it was less now. He worked as the leader of the Queen's forges and sculpted in his free time. He remained good friends with Port Wine, and was even best man at his wedding, where he married a Seawing that Port Wine had saved and fallen in love with. Hephaestus was still judged for his looks, but he had found a group of friends who enjoyed the same things as he did. Relationships/Relationship Backstories Peregrine: Hephaestus hates his mother. Or at least, he did for a long time. After her apology to him, he became closer with her, even saving her from death. After a viscious fight with her husband, the king hired a team of fireproof Mudwings lead by Hephaestus's father to tie her up and suspend her from the top of their castle. She stayed up there for several days, until Hephaestus helped her. He and his mother do not have a mother/son relationship, but they are as close an ally that they will ever get. His Father'''Hephaestus only talked to his father over animus magic, but he is torn about how he feels. One on talon, he seemed kind, and is his father after all. On the other talon, he was lazy and didn't care about Hephaestus or Peregrine. Hephaestus has very mixed feelings about his father, but leans towards the caring side. '''Thetis: Hephaestus loves Thetis. She was nice to him, let him do what he wanted, and she went through the trouble of getting an animus dragon to help him find his mother. Hephaestus does think she's a little ditzy, though, and has confronted her multiple times about it, and they usually end up fighting. Sunset/Conflict: When Sunset arrived from the Rainforest kingdom to live with the Skywings, she was the most beautiful dragon anyone at the Skywing palace had ever seen. Everyone was coming after the foreign Rainwing to try and date her, and fights quickly broke out. However, the king saw this and decided to create an arranged marrige. He paired Sunset up with Hephaestus, the ugliest dragon anyone could think of. Hephaestus was shocked, of course, but promised to be a faithful and kind husband. However, Sunset was disgusted, and began to cheat on him with one of the king's warrior sons. Hephaestus found this out, and was heartbroken. But, he was a very vengeful dragon. So, Hephaestus created a trap. He told Sunset he was going to the Sea kingdom for a day to visit Thetis, but waited downstairs. Within half an hour, Sunset and the Warrior were partaking in scandalous activities. That was when Hephaestus burst through the door and threw one of his strong nets on them in an embarrasing position. He chuckled for a bit, and brought in his adopted siblings to look at them. They had a good laugh, and Sunset was extremely embarrased. Eventually, the king demanded he let them go. And Hephaestus did so with a smug aura. He was divorced later on. Long story short, he now hates both of the dragons. The Skywing King Hephaestus loathes the king. At every opportunity, the King has tried to manipulate him and get rid of him, even going so far as to pushing him down on of the palace's longest staircases. Hephaestus likes to use his name as little as possible. Port Wine: Hephaestus is very good friends with Port Wine and his wife, Amphit He will do anything for them, within reason. He has gifted them many beautiful metalworkings, weapons, and helpful machinery. Abilities and Weapons Hephaestus inherited powers from both his mother and father, but what he really prides himself on is his inventions and tech. Powers/Abilities: *'Controlled Firescales': Hephaestus inherited this gift from his mother. He has very powerful firescales which he can turn on and off at will. He can concentrate all of the fire into one area of his body at once. Hephaestus usually uses this for forging weapons with his hands. Curiously, he has never used it in battle, as he thinks it wouldn't be fair. *'Holding Breath: '''Hephaestus inherited this gift from his father. He can hold his breath for little over an hour. This power was most frequently used in his time with Thetis, though it occasionally comes in handy. *'Firebreath': Hephaestus inherited this gift from both his mother and father. His fire is a little weaker than others. He can't breathe it at all if he is using his firescales. 'Weapons/Tech:' *'Tail Hammer': This Long, thick piece of metal comes in handy for fighting and in the forges. It is about the same width as his original tail, and at the end is a rectangular prism of solid iron. It is heavy, and when applied with force can easily kill a dragon with one hit. The tail is controlled by a remarkable piece of technology connecting Hephaestus's mind to his tail. *'Back Two Legs''': Hephaestus's back two legs had to be replaced after his fall from the Skywing palace, so he replaced them with upgrades. Two lumpy pieces of metal have been painstakingly moulded and sculpted to fit the image of legs. An orange cross runs down them both, dividing a light and dark section. These legs are extremely powerful, and can also seriously injure a dragon. They are controlled by the same piece of software used on his tail. Trivia *Hephaestus is based off the Greek God Hephaestus. Fun Fact! Apart from the research performed for this competition, all my knowledge of Hephaestus and the Greek Gods is from Percy Jackson and the Greek Gods, as well as the Percy Jackson series. *He is my first character for a contest! Gallery Final Hephaestus Jada.png Category:Characters Category:Males Category:Work In Progress Category:Hybrids Category:MudWings Category:SkyWings Category:Occupation (Other) Category:Disabled Characters